Margaux (2022)

Margaux is the kind of techno-horror that knows exactly what it’s doing: it takes the slick promise of a smart home and twists it into a playful, nasty little ride where the jokes land just often enough to make the next jolt hit harder. Director Steven C. Miller keeps the vibe brisk and party-gone-wrong fun, letting the cast’s youthful chemistry and snappy attitude carry you through escalating suspense and a handful of memorably gnarly kills. It’s not a prestige sci-fi think piece and the digital effects can look a bit lightweight, but the movie compensates with momentum, a twisted sense of humor, and the simple pleasure of watching people try to outsmart a house that’s always one step ahead. If you like your horror with a mischievous grin and don’t mind some gore, this is an entertaining stay you’ll be glad you checked into.

Margaux wants to be a slick, cautionary “smart tech turns on you” thriller with a party-weekend setup that curdles into a survival game, and the premise is solid enough to hook you. The problem is it plays out like a checklist of familiar beats, so even when the body count ramps up, you can often see the turns coming from a mile away. The effects and tech-based kills have a few moments of nasty creativity, but the execution can feel cheaper than the idea deserves, which dulls the tension. If you’re craving a genuinely surprising AI horror ride, you’ll likely be underwhelmed; if you just want a brisk, gory B-movie with a modern gimmick and don’t mind predictability, it’ll do the job.